Welcome to the online blog for DentaQuest, a leader in oral health, committed to improving oral health through access, innovation and affordability.
Through open and ongoing conversation, we hope to provide you with expert advice and information on best practices in dental care.

Monday, May 20, 2013

Oral Health Literacy and Health Equity

By
Ralph Fuccillo, DentaQuest Chief Mission Officer

Nearly
nine out of ten U.S. adults find it hard to use the health information they get
from their dentist or doctors’ office, in the media and even in their
communities.1

That
is a real problem.

Limited
health literacy leads people to incorrect conclusions about helpful oral health
actions -- like community water
fluoridation, eating a healthy diet, brushing and flossing every day, even
getting regular preventive dental care visits. Limited oral health literacy is
a contributor to the growing number of very young children (age 1-5) with Early
Childhood Caries – aggressive dental disease –in need of repair (root
canals and crowns) in operating rooms.Health literacy is something we all need to
pay more attention to – as consumers, care providers, and public health
advocates.

I
am pleased to see that oral health literacy is gaining importance as a public
health priority. Last year, I had the honor
of joining a number of key national oral health leaders at the Institute of Medicine (IOM)’s Roundtable on
Health Literacy. Oral health is now included on the IOM Health LiteracyRoundtable through the participation of the California Dental Association. The oral
health literacy roundtable explored ways to bring oral health literacy research
into oral health practice, and to do this in a way that everyone can
understand. As a speaker, I had four key messages:

The
mouth is part of the body

Cavities
and gum disease are the result of a bacterial infection in the mouth

Dental
disease is preventable

Oral
health literacy is everybody’s business

As
part of my presentation, I also spoke about my personal experience volunteering
at a Mission of Mercy freeclinic in rural
Virginia. It is impossible to overstate the desperation and gratitude that I
saw. I left with a different perspective on our current care delivery system.
People are being left behind. People don’t have the information they need to be
healthy.

Health
literacy is based on genuine compassion and care. We all need a sense of
empathy to meet people where they are, to listen to, learn from, and
respect one another

Prevention
is the starting point for health.

We
need to use simple, clear and consistent educational messages if we are to
motivate action to improve their oral health. It is important to be
patient-centered and respectful of cultures, languages and customs.